


Immunity

by barakati



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Clarke is immune, F/M, Head and Heart, Separation, Tumblr idea, Zombie AU, hints of clexa and becho, just plot devices though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 08:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15069113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barakati/pseuds/barakati
Summary: Clarke and Bellamy had been together for five years prior to the apocalypse and survive two years within it. When Clarke gets bitten one day Bellamy is forced to leave her and start a new life. Clarke fails to put a bullet in herself and discovers she’s immune to the virus. Six years later they reunite, struggling to find who they are after all this time apart. But not time nor space nor some flesh eating disease can stop soul magnets from finding each other.~I suck at writing summaries but this idea got quite popular on tumblr so here we go~





	1. 1. Bitten

**Author's Note:**

> So I finally wrote the first chapter for this. I’m still ‘eh’ about it as I think my writing skills have really decreased in the year I haven’t written but hey ho, enjoy. Also, do you guys think I should include Madi in this fic? I think she could add an interesting dynamic but she could also just get in the way so I’m not very sure.

Chapter One:

Bellamy and Clarke had known each other for the best part of their lives. Clarke was in the same class as Octavia in middle school and the pair quickly warmed to each other. Clarke’s mother was a highly established doctor who spent a lot of long gruelling hours at work, leaving Clarke to spend the majority of her childhood shacked up at Octavia’s house with her and her brother Bellamy. The blonde and the freckled boy had never really paid much attention to each other until Clarke’s senior year when Octavia had too much to drink at their prom and Clarke had no other choice but to call Bellamy. He drove them both back to the siblings house where they shared their first kiss in the midst of a heartfelt conversation. The beginning of a 5 year long relationship. A relationship that ended as a result of the chemical outbreak which caused half of the worlds population to turn into brain-dead monsters. A relationship that ended the day Clarke was bitten.

~2 years post apocalypse - 6 years ago~

Clarke looked at her arm and then at Bellamy. The vow they made long ago was lingering at the back of both their minds as they sat in an uncomfortable silence.

Bellamy thinks back to this promise, made a mere four months into the apocalypse.

“If either of us get bitten we have to swear to shoot each other in the head,” Clarke stated, blissfully unaware of the situation they would be in a year later.

“Okay, I promise,” he replied, rolling his eyes, believing that the conditions would never prove themselves necessary.

They interlocked their pinkies and sealed it with a kiss. They had foolishly believed that the apocalypse was at its worst. That things could only get better, tricking themselves into a blissful ignorance that as long as they were together everything would be okay. The thing with possibilities, however, was that after the initial outbreak, the world seemed to be full of them and the only thing that truly kept them going was their motivated denial.

A year and a half had passed since that day Their lives were riddled in loss after loss. Death after death. Grievance after grievance. They had watched the world around them disintegrate right in front of them; the only constant in their ever-changing lives had been each other. Despite their small shred of hope decreasing as each day passed, the challenges they faced only seemed to bring them closer and make their love even stronger.

They had been living alone in an underground bunker for the past four weeks. They’d only leave to find food or herbal remedies. Even then their expeditions would be no longer than an hour. This had changed when Bellamy had gotten the flu. A case Clarke had seen multiple times before at the hospital her mother worked at. A case that was a whole lot more serious in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.

“Stay here,” Clarke urged whilst inspecting Bellamy’s fever.

“What why? Where are you going?” Bellamy croaked out, prominent worry in his voice despite his illness.

“I’m just going to try and find some herbs. Your fever isn’t getting any better and we’ve already been here way too long. We have to keep moving and we’re not going to do that whilst you’re like this,” Clarke consoles, stroking a stray of Bellamy’s curls away from his eyes.

Bellamy failed to understand that to Clarke, he was always worth the risk. She would give her entire life for him, a statement that had been true before the apocalypse had even began.

“Please don’t le-“

“Bell, I’m going to be fine, okay? We’re never going to survive if you’re in this state. Just trust me.”

And he did. It was arguably the only thing he was good at.

Several hours had passed. Despite the complete and unadulterated trust he had for Clarke, Bellamy knew that the apocalypse was unpredictable. They were never truly safe. Especially when they weren’t together. He wasn’t entirely sure what ‘home’ meant these days. But home felt a lot like her. And his home had just come busting in the door, blood dripping from her arm.

“Bellamy, I-“ Clarke started, through staggered breaths.

“Clarke please don’t say it...”

Bellamy could see the bite marks. But still, ignorance is bliss and he wanted to live in bliss just a little while longer.

“I’ve been bitten...”

Bellamy looked at the bunkers ceiling, caught in a daze. He and Clarke had become two halves of a whole. They had survived this long because they complete each other in every sense of the phrase. Life without her was unimaginable. He had convinced himself for the longest time that they were soul magnets, destined to spend eternity surrounded by each others energy. But now that death was staring at them, all of their midnight promises and unfinished plans became completely unattainable. They would not survive the apocalypse, and they would not see the day that zombies are eradicated. At least not together like they had dreamed of to keep them going through their darkest days.

“Bellamy... please look at me,” Clarke begged, tears falling.

He slowly raised his gaze to meet hers. She reaches down to take the revolver from his belt, handing it over to him, gripping his hands between hers as she places a kiss to his lips. He was frozen in complete shock as he stared at her. The innocence of her face reminded Bellamy of the first day they met, Clarke’s blonde ringlets cascading down her face from the tight ponytail her mother had clearly fashioned for her. Nine years had passed and she was still the same beautiful princess, only now she was tainted with grief and littered in battle wounds. He still loved her like she was the sun in his sky in a world that couldn’t function in darkness. Life without Clarke wouldn’t be life. It would be survival. It would be living simply for the sake of being alive. He didn’t want that. He wanted her.

“Find Octavia, or a group or just find some shelter. You know how to survive. You have a big heart, Bellamy. Just be careful who you give it to, don’t trust everyone. We’ve seen firsthand what misplaced trust leads to,” Clarke chokes out, hands gripping his as they press their foreheads together.

“Clarke... I can’t...” he responds, his lips trembling with unease. “I can’t survive without you... I don’t want to!”

_  
~5 years pre-apocalypse~_

_Bellamy woke up at 12am to hear his phone buzz on his bedside table. Clarke Griffin is calling. Bellamy frowned. The only time Clarke ever called Bellamy was when Octavia’s phone was dead and they wanted some money for food._

_“Yes, O?” He answered groggily._

_Although his little sisters late night calls from Clarke’s phone were unwanted and annoying, he still cared about both of them and he was a sucker when it came to Octavia and her pleas._

_“Um... no, actually. It’s Clarke.”_

_“Oh, right... sorry, I just assu-“_

_“Yeah, no it’s cool. I get it,” Clarke stated, her words slurring slightly from the standard intoxication that senior prom brings. “Um, so this is kind of awkward. Octavia has passed out in the girls toilets and we were gonna get an Uber from her account but I can’t find her phone anywhere and if my mum saw me or Octavia in this state she’d completely flip out and-“_

_“I’m on my way,” Bellamy said abruptly, interrupting her drunken babbles._

_“Thank you so much, Bellamy. I owe you one.”_

_Their ride home was comfortable. Not lively or entertaining or anything interesting, but not awkward or uneasy either. When they arrived home they both helped getting Octavia cleaned up and tucked into bed._

_“How is it already 5am?” Bellamy thought aloud, looking at the clock that was displayed on the wall._

_“Well, at least you know that Octavia is good at not letting people take her clothes off when she’s drunk because that was a hell of a handful,” Clarke mused, opening the Blakes’ fridge and grabbing out some orange juice._

_“Help yourself, princess,” Bellamy stated sarcastically._

_“I always do!”_

_Bellamy chuckled in response to a wink from Clarke and went to the living room to sit down. He had class in a few hours and couldn’t see the point in going back to sleep._

_“I’m not very tired yet, mind if I hang out with you?” Clarke asked, standing at the door frame_

_“Go for it, I’m just gonna wait until my class starts anyway.”_

_Three hours passed and their conversation had gone from talk about Bellamy’s history major to Clarke’s dreams of being a doctor, to Octavia’s irrational fear of Mr Wiggles as a kid and even as far as Bellamy’s 6 month relationship with an older woman. The time ticked by unnoticed and the pair quickly realised they had a lot more in common than they thought. They had practically sworn each other off with Clarke being Octavia’s best friend and all, but after three hours of getting to know each other on a deeper level it was clear that they had an undeniable connection. It was only fitting considering the connection Clarke and Octavia had themselves._

_“You wanna know a secret?” Clarke said interrupting the flow of conversation with a flirty smile on her face._

_“What’s that?” Bellamy grinned, smelling the slight hint of whiskey on her breath._

_“I’ve always thought you were like so ridiculously gorgeous. Like a Greek god or something. You’re just like perfect, it’s kind of unfair. I guess it must be a Blake thing.”_

_Bellamy looked down, smiling from ear to ear. He was used to compliments, but coming from his sisters best friend who he’d secretly had a guilty pleasure for ever since she became of age, sent him into overdrive._

_“That was a pretty good secret. Can I tell you one?”_

_Clarke nodded, biting her lip, eyes fixated on his as they edge closer together ever so slowly._

_“I think that my sisters best friend is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”_

_With that, Clarke closed the space between them, locking her lips with his. He snaked his arm around her hips, pulling her close to him as she moved her hand up to his cheek. They both pulled away gasping for air, keeping their foreheads touching as they stared at each other._

_“I was talking about Raven, by the way,” Bellamy joked, earning a chuckle and a playful slap from Clarke.  
___

__Bellamy would give anything to return to that moment right now. To live for 5 minutes in a world where the only threat was the arrival of a new day, the sun coming up and the birds tweeting, interrupting their meaningful thoughts._ _

__“You need to do this. For me. For us.”_ _

__Clarke pulls away, leaving the gun in his hand. He took a deep breath. He knew the severity of their promise and he knew that it was the right thing to do. But after two years of living a morally-corrupt lifestyle he wondered if there was such thing as ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ However, he did know one thing for sure. He didn’t want her to turn into one of the monsters out there. She deserved better._ _

__He pulls the revolver up to her temple, tears falling so rapidly that he can barely see through them. He pulled off the safety trigger as Clarke closed her eyes._ _

__“I love you, Bellamy Blake. May we meet again.”_ _

__Bellamy’s hand shakes furiously, he’s completely blind to his surroundings now, unsure whether it’s the tears or the sickness, or maybe just the pure horror of the situation. His finger just won’t fucking move. He’s pulled the trigger of this gun more times than he can count but killing her would blow up his entire world and shatter into a million pieces. Life just wasn’t worth it without her._ _

__“I can’t do it... I can’t just kill you, Clarke I can’t. You deserved more than this. You can’t just... die. You can’t! I won’t let you die alone.”_ _

__“Bellamy, listen to me. You are going to survive this. You are going to fall in love again when the world is brighter and life seems reachable. You’re going to see the new world order and have a family and achieve all of the goals we set together.”_ _

__“The goals were set for us! Those plans are just empty unfulfilled promises without you. I’m nothing without you,” Bellamy shouts, not out of anger but frustration and exhaustion._ _

__The world after the apocalypse seemed pointless if she wasn’t there to share it with him. He’d spend the rest of his life knee-deep in zombies if it meant that she was by his side._ _

__He pulls her close, his grip tightening as he nuzzles into her neck. He whispers, “I can’t lose you.”_ _

__She pulls away from him, wiping her tears whilst gaining a facade of strength._ _

__“Go. I’ll do it.”_ _

__“Clarke-“_ _

__“Please, Bellamy! Survive for me. Don’t let me die in vain.”_ _

__And with one last, starving kiss, Bellamy silently vowed to never let her down again. And for the next 6 years, he would spend every waking moment ensuring he never broke that promise. Every decision he made, every friendship he formed, every significant thing that happened in the years following were developed around the thought that Clarke was dead and it was his job to avenge her death by seeing the apocalypse through to the end._ _

__But, the thing with possibilities, was that after the initial outbreak anything seemed possible. Not Clarke Griffin being alive, though. That was an unheard of possibility, but anything’s possible in a world of the undead._ _


	2. Memories of you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follows Belllamy as he copes with the past six years, as well as highlighting the relationships he has formed. Becho is mentioned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so after yesterdays shit storm of an episode I thought I’d hurry this up as I need some bellarke hope in my life and you guys probably do too. A lot of Becho in this chapter and of course due to the situation there will be more of it to come as I want it to feel real however unlike Jason you can trust me to deliver the full bellarke goods as and when the story is ready for it! Just remember that they’re soul mates and currently he thinks she’s dead so just a minor road block ;)
> 
> Also, I wondered if you guys think i should include Madi in this fic? I was thinking it could be a good dynamic but I also thought that she might get in the way of the storyline. Anyway guys give me your thoughts!

It had been over six years since Clarke had died but it still stung like a fresh wound that was encountered yesterday. He had followed her advice, he found his sister, found a group and only trusted people who gave him utmost reason to. Most importantly, he moved on.

He found his sister after six months, she was the leader of a group of savages. For a while he stuck with them, stealing from survivors and killing innocent people in order to survive. It took him an additional six months to decide that his sister was irredeemable. She had changed into someone he couldn’t recognise. He took into account her losses, including a boy Lincoln who had saved her life earlier in the apocalypse. Bellamy knew loss though, and it only turns you into a fiend if you let it. He was still fighting the temptation to let it. Still fighting the urge to give up, life was lonely and he missed Clarke more than ever.

Clarke seemed to be the only person who could give Bellamy hope whilst the world was crumbling around him. He had days where he felt worthless, and didn’t know how to cope and she was always there to take some of the burden off his shoulders. His guilt for leaving Octavia behind was always replaced by Clarke’s inability to let him hate himself. He no longer had her to pull him away from his demons.   
_  
~8 years ago - initial outbreak~_

_Clarke and Bellamy were out having dinner when the first warnings were broadcasted. The scene wasn’t like in the movies, people weren’t running and screaming for their lives, buildings didn’t catch fire or anything ridiculous like that. The entire restaurant had stood still, eyes nonchalant as people silently questioned whether it was a hoax. Bellamy had instinctively grabbed Clarke’s hand, leading her to his car._

_Before setting off he turned on the radio, all channels were repeating the emergency broadcast: “All citizens of the United States of America, this is your president speaking. We have been informed that a nuclear power plant failure has affected surrounding civilians. Everyone is urged to stay in their homes and wait for further announcements.”_

_By the time Bellamy got home Octavia was gone and the cell towers were down. He promised her he would always look after her ever since she was a little girl and now he wasn’t even sure if she was alive.  
_  
After leaving Octavia and her ‘clan’ he met two people called Monty and Harper. They were very similar to Clarke and Bellamy in that Monty was the emotionally driven one whereas Harper was the realist who let logic guide her. They helped him during an ambush, saving his life before he could get mauled by a zombie sneaking up on him. He could tell almost immediately that they were honest and kind people, but he followed Clarke’s advice and kept his guard up. It took about a year for Bellamy to finally relax around them and by this point he genuinely trusted and believed in them.

After the year they met Raven who was severely injured when a building had collapsed in on her. They were scavenging for supplies when they heard nearby screams. It was Bellamy who cleared the debris and managed to carry her out. It was that point that he and the others decided that spending their lives running wasn’t achieving anything. It was time to create a community, a place where life could prosper. 

The four of them spent the next two years gathering survivors and building in one of the least zombie affected areas. At present they had three hundred and forty-two people living within their walls. Each person contributed to making this way of life thrive. They had doctors, engineers, farmers and builders but most importantly they had hope.

Although things were thriving, Bellamy still counted the days since he had lost Clarke. It had been five years by the time their camp was up and running entirely. He hoped that wherever she was that she was proud of him. Proud of the smart decisions he’s made. Understanding of the ones that were less so. Mostly he just hoped that there was a forgiving God who would let them spend eternity together when all of this was over.

His hope intensified when he had met Echo. She was the complete opposite to Clarke in every way, and she could never possibly replace her but she was a positive breath of fresh air and everything Bellamy needed to feel whole again. It was obvious that the apocalypse had taken its toll on her, she had made some brutal decisions, some that Bellamy could reason with, others that he had to block out. She was previously part of a group similar to Octavia’s, full of fiends and savages with no morals. However, after the leader had been bitten, the group dispersed and went their separate ways and Echo found herself standing in front of the gates to ‘Arkadia’, asking for safe entry to which they allowed. The thing that made Echo and Bellamy work was that they both had skeletons in their closets, both had things to answer for, promises that were broken and amends to be made. Mostly, she was the only person that Bellamy could truly open up to about Clarke.  
 __  
~6 months ago - 7.5 years post outbreak~

_The day was very quiet, no zombie attacks, no deaths, no thefts. The day seemed oddly perfect. But a day without chaos also meant a whole day to think about Clarke with no distractions. Bellamy couldn’t help but think about their old apartment, scattered in drawings and paintings that Clarke had made herself. They had planned to extend their living room and get a fish tank and maybe even a dog one day. Kids were on the horizon but their busy lives and strenuous jobs meant that they needed to wait a few years. Part of Bellamy wished they had sooner, just for the sake of having someone to hold onto that reminded him of her. He knew it was selfish, bringing a child up in this environment was selfish. But when it came to Clarke, he wanted to be selfish. He wanted to give up the whole life he had made in ‘Arkadia’ to go back and be with Clarke. God, he’d give some of his friends lives just to touch her. But that was selfish. Bellamy wondered where this all came from, Clarke had always accused him of thinking too much of others, and here he was now only thinking about himself. She really did keep him centred._

_He thought about all of the stupid decisions he’s made since Clarke has been gone. Killing Atom as an order from Octavia due to him stealing rations, telling Charlotte to fight her demons resulting in her killing one of the most innocent people he’d met in Octavia’s clan. Shooting down ten men after accepting some rations of strange nuts and hallucinating that they were kidnapping Clarke. A tear escaped his eye when he heard a faint voice in the back of his head. “Three-hundred and forty two alive.” It was Clarke’s voice. Three-hundred and forty-two people, him having at least a small part to play in each and every one of their survivals. He knows that Clarke would be consoling him, reminding him of all the things he has achieved. Reminding him that we sometimes have to do the inexplicable in order to survive._

_His thoughts were interrupted by the shuffling of his tent. He was expecting Harper or Raven, they always seemed to sense when he was upset, but he never really told them much. “Just thinking,” he’d say. But when Echo entered it was different, almost as if he could feel that her loss was on a similar scale to his and he just let it all out to her._

_“I just- Everyone around here has their family, their wives or mothers or children and I have nothing. I have no one. Sometime’s I want to kill myself just so I could have the chance of possibly seeing her again. Isn’t that fucked?” Bellamy finished, Echo listening intently._

_“No. I don’t think so at all,” Echo said, sitting down next to him as she prepared herself to open up. “I lost my husband,” she states flatly, not as a competition or as a way of invalidating his feelings, but just to reassure him that she understands completely.  
He pulls up immediately looking straight at her._

_“Shit, I’m so sorry, Echo.”_

_She shrugs and offers a small smile._

_“In a world like this loss is inevitable. Before this even happened it was inevitable. We just have to keep fighting and keep moving on because otherwise the past will haunt us and prohibit us from winning this goddamn war.”_

_“How do you stay so hopeful?”_

_“Roan, my husband, always used to say, ‘we must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’ And ever since I have just decided to take each day as it comes, knowing one day I’ll be back with him up there.”_

_“You believe in God?”_

_“Not God so much as an afterlife. I believe we all get a chance to redeem our past sins and be back with the people we have loved and lost.”_

_Bellamy stared at her, looking from her eyes to her lips before leaning in and closing the space between them._  
  
They continued messing around for the next month before deciding that they truly had feelings for each other and they didn’t want their past to dictate their future, so for the next five months they lived as a couple, sharing a bed together, making decisions together. He still loved Clarke, but he knew that wherever she was, she was proud of him. He had defied all odds and created a well-ran society based on morals and logic. People were living, not just surviving.

The present day had started like any other, the tight knit group had gotten up early, discussed development plans and then played some light hearted card games. Their main priority as of late was just keeping the camp in good spirits, having a high morale boosted efficiency and productivity, allowing the community to grow more and more each day. The camp was ever growing, now stretching from one side of the valley to the other. It consisted of a med bay, various fire pits, two storage houses; one for meat and one for herbs and materials, an array of tents for housing and even an indoor wooden shack created into a dining hall. With just over a year of work, it was impressive. In the next few months they hoped to find more survivors and expand, rebuilding the world from bottom to top. They also had scientists who spent their time doing experiments on the creatures, trying to figure out if there was a cure or vaccine to no avail. They’d keep trying, though.

Bellamy had made his way through the camp at about midday, striding towards the storage house to gather herbs for their main doctor, Jackson. It didn’t take him long to realise that the unit was practically empty and he was going to need to organise an expedition to gather more materials. He consults his best hunter, Murphy, and only herbalist, Monty before saying goodbye to Echo and explaining the situation to Jackson. Expeditions usually lasted a day or two, sometimes longer depending on the supplies needed. Herbs were usually only a day trip but Bellamy figured that he may as well kill two birds with one stone and bring Murphy so they can hunt some meat also. It never occurred to Bellamy that he’d find a whole lot more than meat or herbs on his trip. It never occurred to him that he’d see a ghost standing in front of him, probably thinking the same question as him.

“Is this real?”


	3. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy and Clarke finally find eachother again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly im so sorry about how tragic I am at updating. I get so demotivated especially when i think that no one really cares about the story. Anyway I hope you like this chapter. I also finally got a laptop so maybe more regular updates

~Six years ago~

 Clarke watched Bellamy leave before dropping to the floor sobbing. Death was always inevitable, but the thought of it being so imminent scared Clarke into paralysis. Clarke never had the time nor concern to ponder life’s true meaning or the potential for ‘eternity’. She had always just gotten on with things and assumed that her day would come when it came. But being the person behind the gun, possessing the capabilities of killing yourself when it’s the last thing you want makes death seem a whole lot more intimidating. She lifted the revolver to her mouth, taking a deep breath before taking off the safety trigger. She closed her eyes and counted to three.

“One.”

_If you don’t do this you’ll turn and be a dead woman anyway._

“Two.”

_If you don’t do this you could potentially be the reason someone else needs to die._

“Three.”

_If you do this you’ll never see Bellamy again._

She dropped the gun at three, knowing that she does not have the strength to carry out this act on her own. She’s selfish and stubborn and wanted to survive just a little while longer. She spent the next day bordering up the windows and making sure there was no way her zombie self would be able to escape. She had enough food to survive until then and spent the days leading up to her turn drawing and writing notes to various family and friends. She had written Bellamy three full-length letters and drawn him a dozen times. It didn’t occur to Clarke until the fifth day that she was not getting weaker and the hunger she felt was definitely not for human flesh. She began wondering if her death may be caused by natural hunger rather than losing her life to a brain dead monster. Whether out of ignorance or sheer boredom, she unbarred the windows and set out to find some food.

After three weeks it became abundantly clear to Clarke that she was immune to the virus. In fact, she also realized that she hadn’t had a malicious encounter with a zombie since she left the bunker. She was unsure if she always had these genetics or perhaps her cells had created their own vaccine when she was bitten. Either way, she knew she was one of the luckiest people on the planet. Without Bellamy, however, it sure didn’t feel like it. She spent the first year alone, not moving very far, hoping one day Bellamy might come back for her. By the end of the year she knew he was never going to. So she left. She wasn’t sure where she was going, or who or what she was looking for. She just hopped from place to place, foraging as she made her way through various towns, each one overrun with these beasts that barely noticed her step. By the second year she had met a woman called Lexa, who taught her things about both the apocalypse and herself. Lexa half-filled the hole that Bellamy had left. She still found herself thinking about him whilst Lexa spoke, but most of the time she was too concerned in surviving to really feel the weight of the loss. Clarke loved Lexa, she really did. But Bellamy was her entire world and she was still not done exploring it, still not done searching for her missing piece. No matter how strong her bond with Lexa, Bellamy was her soul mate and she was determined to one day be reunited with him.

Her pain had only lessened through the months of knowing the experienced survivalist. Lexa taught Clarke that sometimes it’s okay to have made selfish decisions as long as you look after your people. She toughened Clarke due to her own powerful and strong nature. Not like with Bellamy who softened Clarke and made her believe in life, even when it was hanging by a mere thread. Clarke and Lexa spent fourteen months together, before another survivor ransacked their makeshift camp taking Lexa’s life with them. It broke Clarke even more, crumbling any progress she had made on believing in life again. Now all she wanted was for this damn apocalypse to be over. Sometimes she thought about ending it for herself, doing what she should have done all those years ago. Life without Bellamy just wasn’t worth it. By now, she gave up hope of finding him. The world was too big and too cruel of a place for them to find each other again. She had witnessed firsthand the vengeance the world had to offer and she had decided she wanted no place in it.

Then she met a girl. Ten years old and feisty as ever. Her name was Madi. Her parents were on holiday when the initial outbreak occurred. She spent the first year with her nanny and the next few alone after witnessing her caregiver’s death first hand. The girl had clearly spent most of her life alone and it baffled Clarke to see the range of survival tips she had stored in her brain. Madi gave her hope, a reason for living. Lexa taught Clarke to love again, but Madi taught Clarke how to live again. The pair spent most of their days on the move. Clarke was determined to find Madi’s parents as although she had lost everyone, this young girl may not have. It also conveniently distracted her from her search for Bellamy. In fact, after a year together, Clarke had decided that maybe, just maybe, it was worth it.

~Two years ago – 6 years post outbreak~

_It was evident to Madi almost immediately after stepping out of her tent that something was on Clarke’s mind. She knew a lot about Clarke’s past due to stories that she was told to get her to sleep at night. They were told as fiction, but the passion used in telling them said otherwise. She also knew when those stories were playing through Clarke’s mind, keeping her up throughout the night._

_“No sleep again?”_

_Clarke was startled slightly but she did not remove her gaze from the fire pit in front of her. The small girl sat down beside her, resting her chin on Clarke’s shoulder._

_“I’m fine, Madi. You don’t need to worry about me. All you need to worry about is finding us some Trechoda herbs.”_

_Madi nodded, raising from her seat, about to walk away before turning back around to face the mother-like figure._

_“We might find him one day, you know.”_

_“Yeah, but we also might not,” Clarke retorted, shaking her head._

_Upon seeing Madi’s face scrunch with an unreadable expression Clarke moved over to her to crouch down and use a hand to stroke her cheek._

_“But it doesn’t matter. Because if I could trade it all in for you I wouldn’t. If that had to happen for me to find you then I’m glad it did. Sometimes things happen for a reason.”_

_Most of what Clarke said was true. She wouldn’t give Madi up for the world, but she certainly wasn’t glad that what happened had happened. The belief that every occurence has some sort of justification behind it was just a bullshit way of making ourselves feel better about crappy situations. Any belief Clarke had for a God or an almighty power was diminished the moment Bellamy left her behind. If this was all planned to make us stronger then he picked a pretty macabre way of doing it. It didn’t matter now anyway. What’s done was done._

The years passed by easily. Clarke was able to protect Madi from the virus as her own immunity meant she could go on solo hunting missions and always return safely. Clarke could easily say that she was ready to start living and stop just merely surviving. By her third year with Madi they decided to find refuge in a camp they had heard about from a friendly group of hunters who resided there. Unfortunately Clarke wasn’t the best with directions and they were unable to find the camp, never crossing paths with those particular survivors again.

They were still determined to find this place, asking around and scouring suspect places. Their search continued to come up null and they only seemed to stray further and further away from this place. Eventually they gave up, hoping one day they may just stumble across the camp or some survivors affiliated with it.

Then the day occurred. And not only did their most immediate hopes get answered, so did a long buried wish that Clarke had held onto for six years. She honestly couldn’t tell you if it was fate, luck or just pure coincidence but seeing Bellamy Blake for the first time in six years felt a lot like a world that had been ripped from her, given back in the form of a whole goddamn solar system.

Clarke always had a weird way of knowing what kind of day it would be. Bellamy always used to ask her if he was going to get the job before an interview, or if he was going to get the promotion or if he was going to win on a scratch card. Sometimes she was wrong, but most of the time she was right. Today was no different. She woke up, rolled out of bed feeling weirdly calm. The usual ache in her neck from sleeping on the floor had subsided, the sun shone a little brighter and even the flowers glowed a little stronger. She knew something good was on its way, she just didn’t know what. Instead of pondering the possibilities, she went on her day as normal: waking Madi up to collect some breakfast, eating around the fire pit, sharing stories of their lives post-apocalypse, washing their cutlery and plates before packing up their gear and beginning to move on once again.

Although the day continued like normal, Clarke still couldn’t shake the dull euphoric feeling, like a small weight that, instead of dragging her down, was pulling her along, the feeling enunciated with every step she took.

“You’re oddly cheery this morning,” Madi commented, noticing the smile that danced lightly upon Clarke’s lips.

“I just have a feeling today is going to be eventful.”

“What could possibly be eventful about today? It’s just the same shit.”

“Madi! Watch your language,” Clarke scolded, before noticing Madi wasn’t her usual optimistic self. “What’s wrong? Odd for me to be the positive one.”

“I had a dream last night. I saw my mom get eaten by a zombie.”

Clarke’s eyes softened as she looked over at the scarred girl. The apologies that she knew were better left unsaid, evident in her expression. Clarke’s loss, although huge, could never to amount to that of a child who’d lost her parents to a disease she only knew of in films and games. She wouldn’t ever let Madi know, but the hope for the day had diminished after that conversation.

They had been travelling for seven hours before Madi’s trudging along got the better of Clarke. She had always been adamant that breaks should only be taken if there is sufficient shelter that can keep out the zombies, but seeing how defeated the young girl looked, she decided to break her rule and let Madi rest. They set out their tent under a nearby oak tree, Clarke promising to keep an eye out so that Madi could nap. Unfortunately, exhaustion took its toll on Clarke and she found herself drifting off, fighting to keep her eyes open but failing miserably.

A sharp and loud scream woke Clarke immediately. She frantically looked around to find no sign of her feisty companion which led to her leaving her tent with urgency, grabbing an engraved bow of Lexa’s and running towards where she heard the sound. She could hear shuffling somewhere close by and approached the noise with caution, turning around every time she scared herself into believing she was being followed.

She heard another scream and knew with certainty now that it was Madi. All rationalism went out the window and Clarke found herself sprinting full force, shouting Madi’s name. Eventually she reached a clearing where a tall man with blood stained cheeks held a knife to the only family she had left.

Clarke raised her bow higher, showing a stance of confidence before declaring, “You take your hands off her right now before I shoot this through your brain.”

“What makes you think I can’t kill her first?” The man asked, tightening his grip on Madi.

“Let go of her!” Clarke screamed, tears threatening.

“She’s a thief! She deserves to be punished!”

She heard someone behind her call the man. She was too dazed to even take notice of the name. All she could concentrate on is how familiar the voice was. The pace of her breathing increased and she almost passed out from the incredulity of the situation. Her hallucinations had stopped after a few months of meeting Madi. She wasn’t sure how she would cope if they had come back. She dared not turn around, keeping her eyes fixated on the man with his arms around Madi.

As the owner of the familiar voice began to walk into the light, her slowed down vision had stopped at a standstill. Her blue eyes locking with a pair she’d once described as “deep pools of chocolate.” She could feel her fingertips go numb and her heart beat heavier through her chest. Though silent, it was clear that the thought running through both their heads were, “is this real?”

Clarke had experienced hallucinations of Bellamy on various different occasions, some feeling realer than others. But she’d never quite experienced one like this. She could practically taste their last starving kiss, smell his expensive, overpriced cologne that he hadn’t worn for at least seven years and feel his strong arms tightly wrapped around her. Her world began to close in on her and the moment her name rolled off his tongue she dropped her bow, staring at him in a seemingly nonchalant manner.

He himself could not fathom what he was seeing. As he stared at this ghost in front of him he could barely hear the profanity Murphy was spitting at the both of them. In that moment all he could see was her. The world blended in to a blur around them and he wondered if maybe he’d finally lost it. Or maybe he had died and she was his heaven, like he’d always expected. He watched the love of his life take a step towards him, outstretching her arm slowly as if to check if he were real. She had never been able to feel her hallucinations and she wanted confirmation that she wasn’t going batshit crazy. Her hand reached his face, and he closed his eyes at her touch, leaning in slightly.

“You’re really here,” Clarke stated emotionlessly, unable to portray or make sense of the abundance of thoughts racing through her brain.

“Clarke- how are you- you died- I- I don’t,” he started, before tears began to fall at an unrelenting pace.

Clarke tried to get her words out but she was choked by the sound of her own sobs. She pulled him in for a tight embrace, thinking to herself that if she died now she would be content. She thought for a second that maybe she already had. Clarke had been waiting for this day from the moment she realized she was immune to the virus. She had never truly stopped searching. She wondered how it felt for him, at least she could survive with the hope he was alive. He believed completely that she was dead and never coming back.

“I never stopped looking for you,” Clarke said, pulling away just enough that she could rest her forehead on his.

“I thought you were dead. I grieved you, I- I-“

“Right, not to interrupt… whatever the hell this is. But it’s almost sundown and zombies are going to get more aggressive. And if you wouldn’t mind I’d really like to kill this stupid kid before she steals from other survivors.”

“No- no, Bellamy please. He can’t, she’s my whole life. Please let her go,” Clarke begged, putting her emotions to the back of her mind so she could save the only family she’d had for the past three years.

Bellamy looked at her and then back at Murphy, instructing him to let the girl go. Madi fell to the ground coughing before being scooped into Clarke’s arms, having scolds whispered into her hair.

Merely a second had passed before zombies began approaching them from the deeper part of the woods.

“Told you,” the unknown man stated sarcastically before aiming his assault rifle at the hoard.

“Come with us Clarke, please,” Bellamy pleaded, hand outstretched with urgency lacing his features.

It didn’t matter where they were going, or what disaster he could potentially lead them into. Because if one this was set in stone, no matter how much changed around them, it was that Clarke Griffin would follow Bellamy Blake to the deepest pit of oblivion, and Murphy and Madi were about to witness what lengths they would go to in order to protect each other.  


End file.
